MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Student, amateur, and young professional filmmakers are poised to get their biggest break when they participate in Puregold’s CinePanalo Film Festival, an event that will feature new and original movies celebrating everyday winning moments in Filipinos’ lives.
The CinePanalo Film Festival will consider only wholesome, inspiring, and family-oriented film concepts as entries, which should revolve around the theme, “Mga Kwentong Panalo ng Buhay.” It will have two different categories: short films for students and campus-based filmmakers, and full-length films for amateur and professional participants.
The project will offer production grants to exemplary film concepts to help fund their creation. In the full-length category, a grant worth P2,500,000 each will be awarded to five select directors. Meanwhile, in the short film category, 25 grants worth P100,000 each will be given to aspiring student directors.
“Puregold has always believed in upholding education and supporting the talents of Filipino youth,” said Puregold President, Vincent Co. “We endeavor to give young people a more sustainable, energizing environment in which they may pursue their passions. This is the driving force behind our latest initiative, the CinePanalo Film Festival.”
Interested participants in both categories must submit the following: a duly accomplished entry form, a synopsis not longer than 300 words, a detailed sequence treatment, a resume of the director with links to sample works (if any), and a digital copy of the director’s profile photo. Interested participants may email thesecretariat@cinepanalo.com to receive the materials necessary to apply for the grant. All applications must be emailed back on or before October 27.
Puregold’s Senior Manager for Marketing, Ivy Piedad, said that the production grants may be what budding creatives need to kick-start their career in the film industry. “We will provide resources that every young filmmaker dreams of: the financial means to practice one’s craft and a screening in major cinemas as well as online. These tools will help spark their creativity and lead to a priceless first-hand education on producing high-quality content.”
Piedad stresses on the importance of advocating for the work of young student filmmakers in the short film category. “We want to reach out to fresh new talent that will help define the industry, and potentially spur Puregold’s retailtainment initiatives in the years to come,” she points out. “That’s why our short film category is open to students and campus-based filmmakers looking for their big break. We’ve also partnered with several schools in the country to reach out to the next generation of filmmakers.”
Award-winning filmmaker Chris Cahilig, CinePanalo festival director, speaks on what distinguishes it from other similar events, both foreign and local: “Unlike other film festivals, we will focus on films that inspire and uplift, crafted by Filipino filmmakers who want to share their talents with their peers.”
Each participant in the CinePanalo Film Festival must submit their fully produced film on or before March 01, 2024. All final submissions in the short film category must have a minimum runtime of 20 minutes and a maximum runtime of 30 minutes.
All feature film submissions must be at least 90 minutes long. All completed film entries will be screened during the festival period from March 08 to 10, 2024, at the Gateway Cinemas in Quezon City.
Fully produced short film entries will be uploaded to the official Puregold Channel on YouTube, where these will join the company’s other digital retailtainment properties such as “GV Boys,” “Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask,” “52 Weeks,” and “Ang Lalaki sa Likod ng Profile.”
The CinePanalo Film Festival marks Puregold’s latest foray into integrating its sustainability and retailtainment efforts. Such an approach has allowed Puregold to reach out to the next generation of shoppers who are rediscovering the joys of heartwarming Filipino culture and stories.
The Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival is now open to interested filmmakers. For inquiries, please email thesecretariat@cinepanalo.com.
